What You Should Know About Companies This Year

4 Industrial Manufacturing Trends for 2017 and Beyond

Experts in manufacturing and industrial processes predict that such operations can only succeed if they overcome challenges in energy consumption, talent, innovation, and infrastructure. In essence, if your company can attract and retain top talent, innovate to lead the pack, and use clean and affordable energy, it will always be on top. However, such aspects are not easy to achieve due to the complexity of the industry and the numerous internal and external factors that affect it. So, what is the future of the industrial/manufacturing scene?

Robotics have become very popular in the industrial manufacturing scene, making very important in the sector. The next few years are set to see an increase in the rate at which factory workers get replaced by automation as companies look for ways to cut costs. For close to 70 years, robotics have been in existence in controlled manufacturing environments where they performed repetitive tasks. The varieties available today are highly versatile and intelligent. In a couple of years from today, they will work without human intervention and eventually take over the manufacturing processes that workers carry out.

Manufacturing has now embraced the concept of the internet of things (IoT) and has been using it for a couple of years now. Here, the internet is used to link humans, sensors, computers, and machines for the performance of tasks in an efficient manner. Manufacturing companies can now enjoy enhanced efficiency in tasks such as information collection, analysis, processing, and monitoring in their environments. For instance, you can now tell the exact voltage required to produce a single unit of a product. The future use of IoT is set to increase as more manufacturers find use for the technology in their environments.

Manufacturers have now fully embraced 3D printing technology. It is the use of digital designs to create solid products. Though this technology is still in its infant stages, there are high hopes that it will make a huge impact in the industrial manufacturing field in the next couple of years. As such improvements are awaited, some companies are making full use of the technology in the creation of components that are costly, time-consuming, and cumbersome to manufacture in normal manufacturing environments.

Manufacturers have now embraced augmented reality in their processes. This is the use of computer imaging technology to pass information to users in real time. Users, on the other hand, use the information and guidance received in the form of graphics and other virtual enhancements to carry out their duties. For accuracy, the instructions are also relayed in the form of audio. Some of the tasks that the technology is currently helping with include inventory tracking, training, and safety enhancement. The technology will see an increase in the number of its users due to the improvements that are expected.